The space fighter pilot is one of the most familiar archetypes in the SF genre. From TV greats such as Capt. Apollo and Lt. Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica to silver screen stars such as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in Star Wars, scifi writers love to portray dashing heroes flying sleek spacecraft into battle.

From Wing Commander to the Star Wars X-Wing series, space aces have figured no less prominently in computer games as well as the movies. Now, fans of the starfighter genre have a new game to sink their teeth into -- Freespace 2, the newest installment in the Freespace saga from Interplay.

When you first strap yourself in to fly the training missions, it is hard not to notice the stunning graphics and crisp heads-up display. The first few missions guide you through some simple maneuvers with a firm but helpful drill sergeant. After that, you are thrown into the thick of battle, fighting for your life in an artistically rendered nebula that impairs both vision and electronic sensors.

Interplay has added many helpful features to the Freespace fighter craft. For example, the ability to target your escort’s enemy is very useful in wagon-train style missions. Also, old standbys like the ability to match enemy speed and the ability to transfer energy between weapons, shield, and engine systems make for a realistic star battle. The fighters can deal out death with a wide variety of missile and beam type weapons, which is helpful since there are many Shivan enemies to kill.

Installation was simple and straightforward. Freespace 2 found all my hardware and detected my video card with no problem whatsoever. Multiplayer gaming, on the other hand, was fraught with difficulty, at least in the demo version. I gave up in disgust after 20 minutes.

Nevertheless, I found the single-player game truly immersive. Special effects, such as the buzz of electricity from shattered debris floating away, were stunning.